From Paul
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA - Your boy LeBron got dunked.
Lakers over Clippers?
I say it again HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Paul
Thanks for the question, even if it's rhetorical.
And mocking.
But I'm a big boy. I can handle both.
In that direction, let's offer a quick 5-in-10 from the 5-at-10 on things we learned this week as the NBA opened:
> Clippers are really good; even without Playoff Paul George;
> Warriors best thank KD for that new arena - Ouch-standing;
> Harden-Russ already fighting? Houston has problems;
> Young-Doncic maybe all-time win-win trade;
> Celtics going to look back at 2017 nucleus and cry.
Fun start.
From Matt
Why are defending the NBA players about China?
They are spoiled children who are supporting China and its dictatorship and communism!
I thought you were a conservative, but sounds like you are just another member of the Fake News, lib-media.
Sad.
Matt
What are you talking about?
I wrote about what LeBron had to say here https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/columns/story/2019/oct/16/5--10-sec-rankings-nfl-moves-lebron-keeps-talking-rushmore-boss/505940/ and here. https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/columns/story/2019/oct/15/5--10-nfl-6-picks-nfl-power-poll-lebron-said-what-rushmore-lucy/505838/
Truth be told, I likely have not written enough about this, and may write more now that Mike Pence has opened his yapper on the matter.
And here's my point in both directions that seems to be missed by each side of the polarized divide.
Take whatever stance you want on the issues in and around sports and protests and freedom of speech and patriotism.
But be bleepin' consistent.
Don't tell the protesting athletes to shut up and dribble on one issue then say, "Why aren't they speaking up more" when they are quite quiet on the next issue.
Don't ask ESPN to stick to sports and then, when they start sticking to sports, demand they cover the NBA-China flap more and cry cover-up and unethical practices when they don't.
The NFL black-balled Colin Kaepernick because his freedom of speech affected the NFL's freedom to make billions.
I'm good with that because Kaepernick's actions were going to have repercussions.
The NBA has tippy-toed around the whole China thing trying to protect the billions it earns in that country.
I understand that too. (Although the NBA certainly - and the Houston Astros most definitely - could take some PR handling lessons from how the NFL handles its BID-ness.)
And brother, you believe whatever you want about my politics, but more than liber or conservative or right or left or whatever adjectives you want to pick, here's the one I hope I reach most often in this space:
Consistent.
(And hilarious of course.)
From Scott
I saw your Tweet about watching Hoosiers - I started watching it too.
I know you have tried to rank the all-time best sports movies.
What is your Rushmore of great/bad sports movies if you know what I mean?
Scott
If there's one person in the interweb who knows exactly what you mean about great/bad sports movies, it's this guy.
This is the intersection in which the 5-at-10 was born.
Speaking of which, on this day nine years ago - Oct. 25, 2010 - the first 5-at-10 was hatched.
It was about the length of this answer to be honest. Back then we would follow that up with a "2:00 Drill," which was two more things at 2 p.m. (Not sure why we needed to be cleverly linked to time but hey, as Popeye told us a long time ago, "I am what I am.")
We have not missed a Monday through Friday since that first Monday back in October, 2010.
According to this calculator site, that's 2,350 consecutive 5-at-10s. Take some of that Cal Ripken.
What was hot when the 5-at-10 was birthed? (And yes, "I don't know nothin' bout birthing' no babies.")
> Well some dude named Cam Newton was emerging as a possible Heisman contender at Auburn - and we had no idea about the $180K offer from Miss State yet;
> It was about three months after Stabucks started offering free WiFi;
> A new record on the video game Asteroids was set, topping the record that stood for 27 years after 58 hours of playing the game;
> Sony discontinued the WalkMan, on which you could have listened to Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are," which was No. 1 on Oct. 25, 2010, or Taylor Swift's third album - Speak Now - which was released on that Monday.
(And while we are here, on this day in 1978, "Halloween" the original was released. Good stuff. Katy Perry is 35 today. Payne Stewart died on this day 20 years ago.)
For all you folks who have become regular contributors, thank you. You guys have been awesome.
For all of you who have become regular readers and occasional commentators or just read and email me, thank you. You guys have been awesome, too.
It's been a fun ride, and in a lot of ways has redirected my professional career, and who in a million years could have expected that when this puppy started.
OK, what was the question?
Oh yeah, great/bad sports movies. What an excellent and all-but perfect question on the 5-at-10's birthday.
First we need to name this the sports "Road House" Rushmore, because what MJ is to hoops and Jack is to golf, the Patrick Swayze cinematic great/terrible masterpiece that is "Road House" must be acknowledged every time this category is mentioned.
Deal? Deal.
OK, there have to be some ground rules, right?
The first viewing generates either indifference, disappointment or anger;
It gets better, like a fine wine, with age;
It is surprisingly rewatchable, even to the possible anger of your significant other. Simply put if you stop on a great/terrible sports movie and do not hear some version of "I thought you didn't like this movie" and/or "Haven't you've seen this movie like 14 times?" then it may not truly be a great/terrible sports movie. (Also of note, if it drives others from the room, then that's a great sign too.)
Sequels are eligible because Major League 2 is a real contender, because it is a shallow impersonation of the original but amazingly rewatchable. (Major League 3? Yeah, that's just a terrible/terrible sports movie with exactly one redeeming quality - it was likely the first break for Walton Goggins, who has had a great career in Hollywood after spending a couple if years in my homeroom at Campbell High School in Smyrna; he was Walt then.)
And to be fair, we almost have to strike every Rocky after Rocky II off the list. They are all eerily similar - other than Rocky V and the first Creed - and part of a fun recipe that makes them more Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies than great/terrible gourmet art if that makes sense.
Without further ado, the Rushmore of the great/terrible sports movies is
Johnny Be Good - C'mon gang, so much about this is so over the top that it's borderline documentary, part spoof and part social commentary. The first time I saw it, ugh. Now try skipping by and not watching Anthony Michael Hall and Paul Gleason as Coach and not spend at least 30 minutes there.
The Legend of Baggar Vance. A perfect example of almost all the rules set earlier. First viewing was completely disappointing; Matt Damon's golf swing in terms of smoothness is more 12-year-old folding lawn chair than 12-year-old scotch; Will Smith's Southern accent is perfectly dreadful. But I dare you on a June evening to skip by the Golf Channel and not stop nf the Legend of Baggar Vance. (If you stop on the Legend in Baggy Pants, well, you have gone into the adult channels gang.)
Days of Thunder. Yes, I said it. Bring it. Better than Stroker Ace. More iconic than Six Pack - which also featured a kid I knew growing up in the cast, Robbie Still, the foul-mouthed (War Smyrna) kid in the collection of orphans Kenny Rogers adopts - and everything you could possibly want from a NASCAR movie.
The Waterboy. The Jordan of the category, right?
Thanks gang. For everything.
From Peter
Have you written anything about the Schefter report that Tom Brady is leaving the Patriots?
Seems like pretty big deal sir.
Do you think that could actually happen?
Peter
Have not really written a whole bunch about it, because mainly the Schefter 'report' was detailing the facts that a) Brady's reworked contract ends this year, b) Brady has put his house on the market, and c) Brady's doctor-who-is-not-a-doctor has put his house on the market.
OK. There you go.
And in truth, the decision makes sense.
For everyone.
As much as I would hate to see Brady go the way of Tony Dorsett in Denver or Joe Montana in KC, I would understand Brady wanting to win a title or contend for a title under a different coach.
I would understand Bill Belichick wanting to win a title with a different QB.
I would understand the Pats understanding that Brady will be Forty-bleepin-3 before the start of next season and QB next needs to be identified.
I'd still hate to hear, "Now starting for the Chicago Bears, Tom Brady."
Which brings us to the NFL picks which are crushing it right now. (Yeah, the college picks area see-saw; the NFL picks are the trust swings. Side question: Rank the basic options in terms of fun at a playground: I got Swings 1 and Monkey bars DFL. Thoughts?)
Packers minus-3.5 over K.C. (buy that down to 3 please); Seattle minus-3.5 over Atlanta (buy that down to 3 please); Colts minus-5 over Denver; Miami-Pitt under 43; Carolina plus-6 at San Fran.
Not enough hate mail this week, gang. Sorry.
I will post the week's Rushmores around lunch.
Have a great weekend friends and thanks for everything.